KANPUR: A minor girl, who had accused a local goon of raping her, was strangled to death by the hoodlum in full public view in a Fatehpur village after she refused to withdraw the complaint against him.

The incident took place in Sidhaav village in bordering Fatehpur on Saturday morning when the accused, Narvada Nishad, barged into the house of the 16-year-old girl, Radha Sonker (name changed) and after beating her brutally, strangled the hapless girl to death even as the villagers looked on.

The killer managed to escape unchallenged.The villagers later informed the Bahua outpost police about the incident who reached the village and sent the body for postmortem.

The girl was allegedly raped by the accused in December last. Subsequently, the girl’s father had lodged a case in this regard with the district’s Lalauli police station alleging that Narvada Nishad had raped his daughter. The matter was sub-judice.

Village sources said about a week ago, the accused had threatened the victim and her family members of dire consequences and pressurized them to withdraw the complaint, but they refused to do so. Moreover, the statement of the rape victim was recorded before a magistrate three days ago.

Police claimed that angered over this, Narvada Nishad barged into the girl’s house when her parents were away at work. Radha, who was sitting near the main entrance of her house, tried to run inside but the accused pounced upon her and dragged her outside the house.

After brutally assaulting her, he strangled her to death in full public view and escaped.

The rape victim’s kin said they had informed the police about the regular “threats” from the accused but they failed to take any action.

Police said a search has been launched for the absconding accused.

Deputy superintendent of police Santosh Kumar Singh said: “A case has been registered under relevant sections of the IPC. We are on the lookout for the accused and will nab him soon.” However, he had no reply when asked why the police didn’t take any action on the girl’s complaint.

Tension prevailed in Sidhaav village over the murder of rape victim. “Additional police personnel have been deployed at the village as precautionary measure,” informed another senior police official.

The CM of UP feels sad for Delhi girl’s rape but he has no worry for the girl raped in his next door city. Why does not sack his policemen for dereliction of their duties? According to him rape of a poor has no meaning. More so if she is from deprived section of the society!